The TV business was once ruled by overnight ratings. Those metrics are becoming less and less meaningful in a world of mobile-first consumers. Online networks such as Netflix and Amazon don’t want or need third-party ratings. They know exactly what is being consumed, by whom, and when. Delivery and analytics are their core competencies. Additionally, Netflix and Amazon own their customer billing relationships, and whoever owns the customer usually wins.

There was a recent tabloid piece featuring a video of a woman asking Alexa if it was connected to the CIA. At the time, the Echo Dot she was speaking to did not respond to the question. She asked a few times, and each time the Echo was silent. Conspiracy theorists weighed in. It was an amusing video, but the Daily Mail’s clickbait headline raises a legitimate question: Can Alexa lie?